


Till the Well is Dry

by cienna



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel in the Bunker, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-22
Updated: 2015-01-22
Packaged: 2018-03-08 14:52:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3213176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cienna/pseuds/cienna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean has a series of nightmares that seem to be leading him towards Cas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Till the Well is Dry

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Innwich](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Innwich/gifts).



> Hope you enjoy this! :)

This first time he dreams of drowning. Strong currents rip at him and pull him under, tearing at his limbs. The water is icy, and the cold is like a pain that penetrates deep into his skin. He fights against the current, struggles to get free, but he can’t, and the more he fights the more he realizes how pointless it is. The cold and the darkness are overwhelming him now, cutting off everything else. He’s given up, and that knowledge more than anything else is what shocks him awake. As he jerks awake and sits up in his bed he realizes with certainty that it hadn’t been him in the dream – it had been Cas.

The next day is hard. Since he’s been carrying the Mark, he’s definitely had some fucked up dreams. But generally they involve him doing things he knows he shouldn’t be doing – like ripping people from limb to limb and licking their blood. This is the first time he’s dreamt about anything happening to someone he knows. Something he didn’t cause and is helpless to prevent. None of the other dreams have ever made him feel _afraid_.

He can tell Sam knows something is up. He gives Dean an extra pathetic look when Dean refuses breakfast, and Dean knows immediately he’s given himself away. But he just can’t stomach the idea of greasy diner food when every time he closes his eyes he’s taken back to that moment of darkness and skin penetrating cold.

As the day wears on he can tell Sam is losing patience with him. Dean’s supposed to be researching their latest case, but is mostly just huddled under a blanket, cruising antique car forums and trying not to think about Cas.

Finally Sam snaps. “Just call him already.”

Dean looks up from the computer with the most innocent expression possible. “Call who?” he asks.

Sam rolls his eyes. “You know who,” he says. “Cas.”

“What makes you think…”

Sam cuts him off by laughing abruptly. “You’ve picked up your cell phone five times in the last ten minutes and then put it down. It’s not like there’s anyone else you ever call.”

Dean is taken aback because he does call other people. Sometimes. Once in a while. And he definitely hasn’t called Cas recently, even though he’s wanted to. Cas has been pretty preoccupied with the whole war in Heaven thing for the past few weeks.

“Look, Dean, is something going on? You’re not looking great today. Do you have a fever? Want me to run out and pick up some meds?” Sam is looking at him with that concerned Mother Hen face that Dean absolutely hates.

“No, I’m fine,” Dean says, but he can tell that Sam is unconvinced. He stares back at the laptop and won’t meet Sam’s eyes.

“Dean, you’re wrapped in a blanket and it’s 85 degrees out today,” Sam points out.

“It’s not 85 in here,” Dean snaps. “It’s a fucking ice box.”

Sam sighs and Dean tries his best to ignore it. “I guess it does get chilly in the bunker. Look, Dean, I’m trying here.” His sympathetic face is too much and suddenly Dean doesn’t want to resist any more.

“I had a dream.” He feels idiotic the moment he says it. Like he’s a little kid who has nightmares or something. In fact he’s pretty sure Sam had told Dean about his nightmares as a little kid and Dean had been the one comforting him. It feels wrong that their roles are now reversed.

Sam just looks thoughtful. “What kind of dream?” he asks.

“Drowning, okay. I was drowning. Only when I woke up I realized it wasn’t me who was drowning, it was Cas.”

“Do you think it’s caused by the Mark?” Sam asks.

“I don’t think so,” Dean says, but he doesn’t elaborate. He sure as hell doesn’t want Sam to know what kinds of dreams he does have now that he has the Mark.

“You should just give him a call, Dean. You’re probably just subconsciously worried about him or something.”

“Nah, I’m sure he’s fine,” Dean says, but resolves to call Cas later when Sam isn’t around.

Sam looks at him knowingly. “Being worried about your friend isn’t a bad thing, you know.”

Dean ignores him and goes back to playing on the computer. Sam just sighs.

***

Later that night Dean tells Sam he’s going to go pick up some snacks from the nearby Seven Eleven. The second he’s outside he pulls his phone out. He hesitates, but then dials Cas’s number. It rings and rings but no answer. Clearly Cas hasn’t bothered to set up his voice mail yet. Grudgingly Dean puts the phone back into his pocket. He’ll have to console himself with donuts and Doritos. Five minutes later, just as he’s arriving at the store, his phone rings. He answers on the second ring and fights to keep the desperation out of his voice.

“Cas?”

“Dean. I apologize for not answering earlier. I was doing some laundry and I didn’t hear the phone ring.” Cas sounds distracted and Dean can make out the comforting sounds of a laundromat in the background.

“Uh… it’s no problem. I was just checking in. Haven’t heard from you in a while.” Dean tries to sound casual, but isn’t quite sure he manages it.

Cas must not notice anything unusual because he sounds normal when he replies. “I’m fine. Still dealing with the situation in Heaven.” He hesitates and then asks, “Is everything okay with you?”

Dean hates himself for it, but he has to know. “I’m good. You, um, haven’t been in any water lately, have you?”

Cas doesn’t answer at first and Dean can tell he’s pondering the question carefully. “I showered last night.”

The amount of relief Dean feels at that statement is pretty ridiculous. “Good! I mean, that’s good.”

“Is there any particular reason you’re interested in my personal hygiene, Dean?”

Dean hesitates, but then decides to bite the bullet. Cas is his friend after all. He swallows. “I had a weird dream. That’s all. I’m sure it was nothing.”

“I take it your dream involved water?” Cas sounds slightly worried now and Dean hates that he called Cas about something so silly. Cas has better things to do than worry about him.

“Yeah, but it was nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Dean can almost hear Cas frowning into the phone. “Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you later.” Before Cas can say anything else he hangs up, shoving the phone into his back pocket before he goes inside the store.

***

That night the dream is about falling. The fall takes his breath away and he feels like he’s losing everything - losing his very existence. He screams as he feels his wings burn, in what he can only assume is the Earth’s atmosphere.   The ashes get caught in his hair and eyelashes. When he wakes there are tears running down his face. He brushes them away angrily with his palm.

Before he can think about it too much he pulls his phone out and starts a message to Cas.

 _I dreamed you were falling_ , he types.

Almost immediately his phone beeps. _I’ve already fallen._ Before he can reply his phone beeps again. _Do you need me to come there?_

Dean tries not to remember the old days. When Cas would just turn up in the blink of an eye whenever Dean needed him. Now Cas has more important stuff to deal with than turning up at his beck and call.

_No, I’m good. Did it hurt? When you lost your Grace?_

Quite a few seconds go by before Cas’s reply. _More than anything. But I’m fine now._

Dean’s heart clenches. He can still feel the pain of his burning wings. He tries to resist, but can’t help himself. It’s the middle of the night and he needs Cas here. Needs to see him for himself. Needs to touch him. _If you aren’t too busy we could use your help with a case. No hurry though._

The response comes almost instantly. _I’ll be there as soon as I can. Let me know if you have any other dreams._

Dean carefully puts his phone on the nightstand next to the bed, but he can’t go back to sleep.

Sam finds him a few hours later, back on the laptop, eating the leftover donuts from yesterday.

“You’re up early,” Sam says. “More dreams?”

Dean keeps his eyes carefully on the donut he’s eating. “Just the usual stuff.” Luckily Sam has no idea what his usual dreams have been like since the Mark. “But I did talk to Cas. I think he’s gonna come down for a while. Help out with the case.”

Sam’s expression goes from concerned to incredulous. “You asked Cas to come here? That’s… that’s great, Dean!”

Dean cringes. “Knock it off. I just thought we could use some help with the case.”

Nothing Dean can say will wipe the happy expression off Sam’s face. “Sure, Dean. Whatever you say.”

Dean focuses determinedly back on his donut and pushes away the uncomfortable thought that Sam is trying to play matchmaker.

***

Cas doesn’t show up until almost midnight that night. He pulls up in his beat up Lincoln and carries his small bag into the bunker. Sam had been doing research for hours, but Dean had long since given up and was mostly trying to think of ways to avoid sleeping.

“Dean, Sam, I see you are well.” Cas can’t quite hide his smile at seeing them and Sam doesn’t even attempt it, pulling him into a brief hug.

“Yeah, thanks for coming all the way out here, Cas. I know it was a long drive.” Sam says. He takes his bag and Cas quickly collapses into a chair.

“Donut?” Dean offers, holding the container out to him. There are only three left and Cas takes one and smiles at him.

“Thanks, Dean.”

Now that Cas is here, looking perfectly fine, Dean feels slightly ridiculous for being so worried. It was just a dream, nothing out of the ordinary. Especially with the Mark making him even more fucked up than usual.

“So what is the case that you needed help with?” Cas asks.

Sam starts going into details of what is actually a completely normal uninteresting case – one that they definitely could have handled on their own. To his credit Cas manages to look interested and makes a few suggestions of other things they could look into. They continue discussing the case until Sam excuses himself and says that he’s going to bed. There’s an awkward silence as Dean and Cas are left alone.

Finally Cas breaks it. “I’m glad you asked me here, Dean. I hadn’t heard from you in a while.”

“Communication goes both ways, Cas.” Dean’s response comes out sharper than he intended and he has to bite back the feeling of guilt when he sees the hurt look in Cas’s eyes.

“I guess I have been a bit preoccupied lately. The situation with the angels has taken up a lot of my attention. But now that Hannah has returned to Heaven…”

Dean looks up sharply. “Hannah went back to Heaven? But I thought you guys were an item?”

“No, Dean. Hannah and I were just friends. She may have wanted more at one point, but we were only ever friends.”

“Oh.” Dean can’t think of anything else to say, but he can feel Cas’s gaze on him and for some reason it warms him.

“Will you tell me about the dream now?” Cas asks gently.

Dean continues to stare at the computer. Somehow this is easier if he doesn’t meet Cas’s eyes. “There have been two dreams,” he says. “Both of them were about you.” Just mentioning them brings them back to life in Dean’s mind and he shudders. Cas holds out a hand as if to touch him, but Dean reflexively moves away and Cas puts his hand down.

“I’m sorry. I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“It’s okay, Dean. Are you going to be able to sleep?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” It’s a lie and he’s sure Cas can tell. But there’s no way in hell he’s going to be able to sleep and he isn’t going to force Cas to stay awake with him when he’s clearly exhausted from driving all day. He stands up. “Here, I’ll show you our awesome sleeping quarters.”  


***

This time he is burning. His entire world has exploded and the blistering heat scorches his skin and makes it tingle. Strangely, the sensation isn’t painful, like in the other dreams. It’s actually almost pleasant. Suddenly his dream no longer consists of him experiencing Cas’s pain. Cas is there and touching him and it’s fucking amazing. Cas’s fingers trail down his cheek, across his shoulder and his hip. Then Cas is touching him more intimately and the heat becomes so intense that he screams.

Suddenly Cas is shaking him awake and at first Dean doesn’t understand what’s going on. Cas was in his dream, but Cas is here too, on his bed and touching him. Suddenly Dean comes to the uncomfortable realization that he has a hard on. And Cas is touching him. He pulls away awkwardly, struggling to get some space between them.

“Dean? Dean, are you okay?” Cas sounds frantic and suddenly Dean realizes that he hasn’t been able to say anything or focus on Cas’s face since he’s woken up.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He forces his voice to remain calm even though he is trying not to freak out. He just had a sex dream about Cas. And clearly enjoyed it. A lot.

“Are you sure, Dean? You’re breathing very fast.” He leans in again. Dean is pretty sure that it’s to check his breathing, but suddenly it’s just too much. It’s too much temptation and too much heat, and what the hell, he can always blame the Mark later if Cas ends up regretting it. He leans forward and kisses Cas.

He can tell Cas is surprised at first by the way he freezes, but it’s only for a second before he is responding, tentatively at first and then more firmly, pushing Dean up against the bedframe. Dean pulls Cas harder against him and tries to get even closer. He can still feel the heat from the explosion, like he’s burning up from the inside. Cas pulls away and Dean can’t help making a noise of protest.

“Dean? Is this okay?” Cas sounds breathless like he didn’t want to stop either and Dean wants to kiss the words from his mouth.

Dean smiles. “I’m pretty sure this is more than okay. For me anyway.” He moves his hips sharply against Cas and can see the exact moment when Cas can tell exactly how into it he is. He makes a sounds somewhere between a sharp intake of breath and a moan and then he is kissing Dean again exactly like Dean had been wanting – rough and desperate. Dean realizes he is making small shallow thrusts against Cas’s hip and it feels good, too damn good. Better than any of the random one night stands he had under the influence of the Mark.

Cas’s eyes are wild and he is rougher than Dean had thought he would be – because he has imagined this moment before, he would just never admit it to himself later. Cas is touching him now through his boxers and Dean is close, so close. Cas murmurs his name softly and the sound of it wipes away all his doubts, all the self-hatred he’s had for the past few months. He knows this is right. Suddenly Cas touches him again and he comes in his boxers moaning. The sight makes Cas’s eyes flash blue and suddenly he is coming as well, collapsing on top of Dean. Strangely the weight is comforting and Dean doesn’t actually want him to move anytime soon.

Cas lifts his head to look at Dean. “Thank you,” he says.

The words make Dean’s face heat. “What are you thanking me for?”

“For asking me to come here.”

Dean laughs. “There was a case, you know.”

“Yes, I could see the case clearly needed a great deal of my attention.”

Dean hesitates. “But those dreams, they seemed so real.”

Castiel rolls to Dean’s side and looks at him seriously now. “I’ve done some more research into the Mark. It is very in tune with your subconscious desires.”

“So you’re saying the Mark did cause those dreams?” A flash of fear goes through Dean and he shivers. Was none of this real?

“Not exactly. It may have caused you to have those dreams, but it didn’t cause those desires. They were real.” Suddenly Cas turns away, his face coloring. “At least I think they were.”

Dean touches his face and turns it back towards him, loving the fact that he can do this. He can touch Cas. This is allowed. “They were real,” he agrees, and draws him in for a kiss.


End file.
